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100+ Global Leaders Call on Heads of State to Accelerate Efforts to Prevent Nuclear Terrorism

ACall to Action on Nuclear Terrorism signed by more than 140 global political, diplomatic, business and military leaders, as well as top experts in nuclear security, and released today, cites the progress resulting from four Nuclear Security Summits but warns: “The job is not done. The Summits are ending as the terrorist threat is growing.”

At the fourth and final Nuclear Security Summit, to be held in Washington, DC, on March 31-April 1, heads of state from more than 50 countries and the leaders of four international organizations will negotiate and finalize new commitments to improve security around the materials that can be used to build nuclear and radiological bombs.

Vartan Gregorian, President of the Carnegie Corporation of New York, inspired the call to action, as well as providing the generous philanthropic support that enabled it. The initiative was launched with former U.S. Secretary of State George P. Shultz, former U.S. Defense Secretary William J. Perry, former U.S. Secretary of State Henry A. Kissinger and former Senator Sam Nunn, Co-Chairman and CEO of the Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI). They are joined by Nobel Laureates, military leaders, former presidents and prime ministers, leaders in business and finance and more. Members of the public can join them by visitingwww.nti.org/NoGreaterThreat.

“We call on leaders to accelerate the effort to prevent catastrophic nuclear terrorism and continue their work beyond this last Summit to create global standards, accountability and best practices for securing all nuclear materials,” the statement reads. “The United States and Russia, with the vast majority of the world’s nuclear materials and weapons, have a special responsibility to lead. The relationship between the U.S. and Russia has dangerously deteriorated, raising the risk of conflict instead of cooperation. We call upon the two countries to work to prevent ISIS and other violent groups from getting these materials and to avoid another costly arms race.”

Partial List of Leaders Who Signed Statement

Kofi A. Annan, former Secretary-General, UN

Amb. Hamad Alkaabi, Perm. Rep. of the UAE to the IAEA

Alexey Arbatov, former member of the Russian Parliament

Oscar Arias, former President of Costa Rica and Nobel Peace laureate

Michael R. Bloomberg, 108th Mayor of the City of New York

Edmund G. Brown Jr., Governor of California

Gro Harlem Brundtland, former Prime Minister of Norway

Zbigniew Brzezinski, former National Security Advisor

Warren E. Buffett, Chairman and CEO, Berkshire Hathaway Inc.

Ambassador William J. Burns, President, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace; former U.S. Deputy Secretary of State

Hon. Ellen Tauscher, former Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security

General John H. Tilelli, Jr. (USA, Ret.)

Vyacheslav I. Trubnikov, former Ambassador, Russian Federation

Ted Turner, Co-Chairman, Nuclear Threat Initiative

Admiral the Rt Hon Lord West of Spithead GCB DSC PC, former First Sea Lord and Security Minister

Right Honourable Shirley Williams, former Leader Liberal Democrats, House of Lords

Steve Wynn

Fujia Yang, Academician, Chinese Academy of Sciences

The complete statement and list of endorsers is available at www.nti.org/NoGreaterThreat. Full-page advertisements featuring key signatories will appear in the print editions of The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and the Washington Post on March 31st.

NTI would like to acknowledge the Carnegie Corporation of New York for its generous support.

About NTI

The Nuclear Threat Initiative works to protect our lives, livelihoods, environment, and quality of life now and for future generations from the growing risk of catastrophic attacks with weapons of mass destruction and disruption (WMDD)—nuclear, biological, radiological, chemical, and cyber. Founded in 2001 by former U.S. Senator Sam Nunn and philanthropist Ted Turner, NTI is guided by a prestigious, international board of directors. Sam Nunn serves as chief executive officer; Des Browne is vice chairman; and Joan Rohlfing serves as president.

March 29, 2016

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Political, Military, Diplomatic and Business Leaders say U.S. and Russia Must Cooperate to Lead Post-Nuclear Security Summit Work